P&A: Strawberry picking tips in OZ

Well, it’s the first job we got in Perth, and it is voted as the toughest job by almost every backpackers. But it was a pressure two weeks in Perth now that we aren’t able to land a job. Many jobs are available in the northern part of WA. Farming or f&b retails such as Mcdonalds’ in Karathaa. Paying $22 per hour but it will take 20 hours drive from Perth and the weather is extremely hot up there. Also, accommodation is super expensive, about $250 per week as it is a mining town.

So when we found through gumtree on this strawberry picking, we were really eager to earn some money by working hard! We were provided accommodation for $75 per week (though it’s cheap, but the house is ‘cheap’ as well). Wake up every morning at 4.45am to start work at 6.30am for $13 an hour, working at some farm near Wanneroo Road (Those farms are owned by Vietnamese), 30minutes from the house. Some days we may get 4 hours work, other days 10 hours. And we have to bring our lunchbox for lunch. The strawberry season in Perth ends October, then it will be tomatoes.

P&A Top 8 tips on strawberry picking:

*must haves: hat, long sleeve shirt, long pant, sunscreen, water bottle, hand gloves, lunchbox . . .

*flies net would be a very good investment, to keep those irritating bugs off yr face. When it gets hot during the day, the flies will come and bother you! In it goes to yr nose, ears, eye, anywhere! AAARRGGHH. . .

*put on knee pad too, to protect yr knees as you will use it to drag you along the farm picking this red yummy fruit when you leg doesn’t have the strength anymore. That’s what we did, but we didn’t buy a knee pad. Consequences are, our knee bones still feel pain after one month.

*ipod

*don’t need to be too fast, (of course not too slow). Just follow everyone else’s pace. Else the owner might expect you to finish fast each time.

*if you are working in farm for second year working holiday visa extension, check the farm’s post code first if they are qualified for that.

*we got ourselves bags of ‘rejected’ strawberries (those which maybe too small or over ripe). So Peter made strawberry jam! Just crushed it, add sugar and lemon juice to it. It may last for few weeks. And it’s real fresh jam.

*yea, you can pop strawberries into yr mouth. But it is covered with pesticides. So wash it with yr saliva first. You don’t want the farm owner to see you eating his strawberries though. Else, hold yr temptations and eat it after it’s washed!

When our bones can’t take it anymore, we quit the job after 6 days. One of the reasons is that we believe we could find a better job, since we can at least speak good English, and we won’t need to work in farm to gain visa extension. Since Malaysians won’t be entitle for second year visa ext anyway. So off we go! We felt really grateful to the houseowner, An who was extremely helpful and righteous, who also gave us discounts on the rental and keep looking jobs for us. We met some new friends in that house too, Japanese guys Takashi & Tomo, German girls Anna, Michele and Teresa.

Our farewell meal with Takashi and Tomo. P&A cooked Chinese styled ABC soup, Korean styled bulgogi pork and cabbage. Takashi cooked minced beef in Japanese soy sauce, with Tomo’s Australian XXXX Gold beer for after dinner. Really satisfying =)